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Back This Side of Night Save as PDF
Chapters (110)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY J. TODD SCOTT
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. I
  7. II
  8. PART ONE
  9. ONE
  10. TWO
  11. THREE
  12. FOUR
  13. FIVE
  14. SIX
  15. SEVEN
  16. EIGHT
  17. NINE
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. PART TWO
  22. THIRTEEN
  23. FOURTEEN
  24. FIFTEEN
  25. SIXTEEN
  26. SEVENTEEN
  27. EIGHTEEN
  28. NINETEEN
  29. TWENTY
  30. TWENTY-ONE
  31. TWENTY-TWO
  32. TWENTY-THREE
  33. TWENTY-FOUR
  34. TWENTY-FIVE
  35. TWENTY-SIX
  36. TWENTY-SEVEN
  37. TWENTY-EIGHT
  38. TWENTY-NINE
  39. THIRTY
  40. THIRTY-ONE
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. PART THREE
  50. FORTY
  51. FORTY-ONE
  52. FORTY-TWO
  53. FORTY-THREE
  54. FORTY-FOUR
  55. FORTY-FIVE
  56. FORTY-SIX
  57. FORTY-SEVEN
  58. FORTY-EIGHT
  59. FORTY-NINE
  60. FIFTY
  61. FIFTY-ONE
  62. FIFTY-TWO
  63. FIFTY-THREE
  64. FIFTY-FOUR
  65. FIFTY-FIVE
  66. FIFTY-SIX
  67. FIFTY-SEVEN
  68. FIFTY-EIGHT
  69. FIFTY-NINE
  70. SIXTY
  71. SIXTY-ONE
  72. PART FOUR
  73. SIXTY-TWO
  74. SIXTY-THREE
  75. SIXTY-FOUR
  76. SIXTY-FIVE
  77. SIXTY-SIX
  78. SIXTY-SEVEN
  79. SIXTY-EIGHT
  80. SIXTY-NINE
  81. SEVENTY
  82. SEVENTY-ONE
  83. SEVENTY-TWO
  84. SEVENTY-THREE
  85. SEVENTY-FOUR
  86. SEVENTY-FIVE
  87. SEVENTY-SIX
  88. SEVENTY-SEVEN
  89. SEVENTY-EIGHT
  90. SEVENTY-NINE
  91. EIGHTY
  92. EIGHTY-ONE
  93. EIGHTY-TWO
  94. EIGHTY-THREE
  95. EIGHTY-FOUR
  96. EPILOGUE
  97. I
  98. II
  99. III
  100. IV
  101. V
  102. VI
  103. VII
  104. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  105. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  106. Excerpt from LOST RIVER
  107. LITTLE PARIS
  108. DILLON
  109. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  110. What’s next onyour reading list?

“My boyfriend has never complained about my mouth . . . ever . . .”

Chris was still smiling, ready to say something else smart, when the grin died on his face. He was suddenly serious again, glancing over her shoulder. She turned around and followed his stare to see Danny, America, and the newest deputy, Marco Lucero, standing outside his office, waiting.

“Are they here to drive you over?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“No, it’s got to be something else.”

“Do you want me to stay?” But she knew the answer to that, too. She could read their faces . . . their thoughts . . . the way she had read Chris’s earlier. Whatever they wanted to say to him was serious and couldn’t wait. It had nothing to do with the debate, and probably everything to do with Fox Uno, that monster she’d read about. She didn’t want Chris more distracted than he already was, not now, but it was futile to be angry about it. There was nothing she could do anyway.

He was still the Big Bend County sheriff, and this debate—important or not—wouldn’t change that, at least not for today.

Not until they counted the votes.

He shook his head. “Go on now with Jack. Get a good seat, up front, with Javy Cruz or Vianey. Right where I can see you. I’ll find out what’s going on, and then I’ll get one of them to bring me over.”

She put a hand on his chest, right near the gold lapel pin. She tapped it with a finger. “Goddammit, don’t be late, Chris.”

He worked up a smile, and kissed her cheek, before bending down to kiss Jack on the top of his head.

“Babe, don’t worry. You can’t be late to your own hanging.”

THIRTY-EIGHT

The last time he had been inside this gym, people were cheering for him.